Longtime San Rafael Councilman Cyr Miller to step down

Longtime San Rafael City Councilman Cyr Miller has opted not to seek re-election when his term is up in November.

"I feel this is the time to emerge from the strength and kinship of city-related communities to step out onto new ground with renewed energy and fresh dreams that are one with the tried gold of my life - the spent passion of service to others and the care of this earth," he said in an e-mailed statement.

"Until my promised service is completed, I will give my all in implementing San Rafael's community-based governance that is the dynamo of our city's progress into the changing future," he said.

Miller was unavailable for comment on Friday.

Barbara Heller, 70, who is ending her fourth term in office, plans to run again, she said Friday. She said it wasn't a tough decision.

"It is when you know you have to run a campaign because campaigns are hard and expensive - that's what make you stop, but other than that, it was a easy choice," she said.

Working on the budget and helping buoy the city during the difficult economy are among her priorities, she said. Transit, the climate-change action plan and the campaign to upgrade city buildings also are important projects she would like to continue working on, she said.

Miller, who was appointed to the City Council in June 1996, was elected in November 1997. Prior to his service on the council, he served on the Planning Commission in December 1993 and was reappointed in June 1995.

He was a member of Downtown Visioning, General Plan, Ordinance and Implementation committees from April 1991 to September 1996. He served on the West End Neighborhood Association Board of Directors from 1987 to 1993.

A former teacher, Roman Catholic priest, and federal employee who managed programs for the aging, Miller for more than 20 years owned and operated Smoothill Sports Distributors in the Canal neighborhood - an area of the city he showed particular interest in during his tenure, according to Heller.

"We worked together now for about 14 years. I think what I loved about Cyr and really appreciated, he made the Canal his own, that was 'his beat,'" she said.

"I think every elected official has a life cycle," said Steve Patterson, chairman of the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods. "It just seemed real clear after three-plus terms Cyr has reached the end of his life cycle and it was time for a change."